The Cabinet of the Virgin Islands has greenlit an increase in fees for a range of nationality services, slated to take effect from June 1.
This decision was approved on November 14, 2023, and according to the Civil Registry and Passport Office, it aims to bolster its operations, aligning them with UK standards while also facilitating the conversion of fees from Sterling to U.S. Dollars. These adjustments come as part of ongoing efforts by the department to enhance and streamline the naturalization processes in the territory.
Registrar General, Mrs. Tashi O’Flaherty-Maduro, underscored the significance of these changes.
She said, “We continue to strive to modernize our systems, and work towards processing applicants as efficiently as possible. This fee update will allow the Civil Registry and Passport Office to build upon the progress made thus far, and forge ahead with delivering a service to our clients that is on par with regional and international standards.”
The new fee structure includes increases across various categories of applications:
- Application for naturalization as a British Overseas Territories Citizen (Adult): The fee for naturalization has been revised to $650.00, with an additional application fee of $100.
- Application for registration as a British Overseas Territories Citizen (Child 17 and under): Those applying for registration in this category will now incur a fee of $275, alongside an application fee of $75.
- Application for registration as a British Overseas Territories Citizen where an adult is eligible to apply under registration: This category will now require a fee of $400 for registration, with an application fee of $100.
- Status Letters: The fee for obtaining status letters has been increased to $100.